Code card actuation apparatus



y 9, 1969 c. GARDNER 3,458,671

CODE CARD ACT UATIQN APPARATUS Filed Aug. 5, .1966

FIG. i

INVENTOR. C. GARDNER United States Patent 3,458,671 CODE CARD ACTUATION APPARATUS Clayton Gardner, 37 Girard Ave., Chatham, NJ. 07928 Filed Aug. 3, 1966, Ser. No. 570,082 Int. Cl. H01h 43/08 US. Cl. 200-46 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A code card actuating device comprising a plurality of insulative disks with a discrete conductor extending through each of said disks. The disks are selectively rotatable enabling one to align the discrete conductors. A second conductor extending through all of the stacked disks in provided in order 0t complete a circuit when the discrete conductors are aligned actuating a load.

This invention relates to code card actuation apparatus.

Apparatus in which a code card is used to actuate an electrical relay is fairly common. Cards containing an appropriate code described, for example, by an array of holes or an array of electrical contacts, are used by authorized holders for such purposes as opening a gate or a door, or identifying the holder as being one of a class of persons to whom a card has been issued. In my copending application, Ser. No. 464,645, filed June 17, 1965, I describe an improved system in which each holder may be issued a card with a different code. The card actuates a relay only if the holder sets controls on an actuation device to an appropriate number code corresponding to the code on his card. Hence, the card cannot be used by unauthorized persons unfamiliar With the required code setting.

For some purposes, it would be preferable to use less complicated actuation apparatus even if somewhat more complicated individual cards are required. My present invention offers this advantage by providing code cards each containing a small dial. The card will actuate a relay only if the operator first sets an appropriate code combination with the dial on his card. Hence, only the person knowing the card combination can use it to actuate the relay. The actuation apparatus includes a rod-shaped conductor that extends into the card to complete the relay circuit if the proper combination has been set in the card; it is therefore much simpler than the apparatus of my other patent application.

These and other features and advantages of the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of code card actuation apparatus in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the components of the code card of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of part of the code card of FIG. 2.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown an illustrative embodiment of the invention comprising a code card 11 and actuation apparatus 12. The apparatus 12 comprises a base 13, having a contact 14 and a rod-shaped conductor 15. The contact 14 is opposite a contact 16 on the lower surface of the card while the rod-shaped conductor 15 is adapted to extend into an aperture 18 in the card. The card contains a dial on its top surface. If the dial has been set to a specific proper combination, and if the card is placed on the base 13 such that contacts 14 and 16 make contact and rod conductor 15 extends into the card,

then the card 11 will complete an electrical circuit to actuate a load 17 which typically includes a relay.

As shown by the exploded view of FIG. 2, the illustrative code card 11 comprises nine thin laminations 21-29, preferably made of an insulative plastic. Central apertures in laminations 22, 24, and 26 surround insulative disks 30, 31, and 32, while a similar aperture in lamination 28 surrounds a numbered dial 33. The disks and dial are mounted on a shaft 34 having a key projection 35, and are supported by laminations 23, 25, 27, and 29 that have central apertures that are slightly smaller than the disks. The laminations also keep the disks separated so that a moving disk does not by friction move an adjacent one.

Each disk 30-32 includes a conductor 39a-39c that extends through the disk to protrude slightly above and below it. This extension above and below the disks is less than half the thickness of laminations 23, 25, and 27. Thus, as disks 31-33 are rotated conducting pieces 39a- 390 do not make mechanical or electrical contact with each other. Located on opposite sides of each disk are interconnecting members 40a-40d. Each interconnecting member includes an insulative portion 42 connected to a semicircular spring 41. The springs are held in indented portions which for clarity have been shown only in FIG. 3. Extending axially through all the laminations except laminations 28 and 29 are aligned apertures 18 which together constitute the aperture 18 of FIG. 1. The spring biases interconnecting members 40a-40d to the right so that insulative portions 42 partially cover the aligned apertures 48 of laminations 21-27.

The central apertures of disks 30, 31, and 32 are irregularly shaped to form keyways for permitting various degrees of free rotation of the key projection 35. The keyway of disk 32 permits about 350 of free rotation, the keyway of disk 31 about and the keyway of disk 30, no rotation. The purpose of this construction is to permit selective rotation of the disk by the shaft 34. A telescoping knob 50 is used to turn the dial 33 and shaft 34. Alternatively, shaft 34 can extend through lamination 21 in a way to permit turning of the dial by grasping the ends of shaft 34 between thumb and forefinger.

The numbers on the dial aid in accurate selective rotation of the disks in accordance with a predetermined combination. After proper selective rotation, the disk contacts 39a-39c are all adjacent the interconnecting members 40a-40d and are all in axial alignment. The card is then placed on the actuation apparatus 12 of FIG. 1 such that conductive rod 15 extends through the aligned apertures 18. As the rod 15 protrudes through the apertures 18', it pushes the interconnecting members 40a-40d t0 the left 'so that they bear firmly against the adjacent disk contacts. For example, the interconnecting member 400 bears firmly against contacts 39b and 390, provided, of course, that the contacts are vertically aligned. The left moving interconnecting members provide effective wiping action of the kind needed for reliable switching.

The conductive rod 15 and the interconnecting member 40d both make contact with a bridge conductor 52, as is shown more clearly in the partial section of FIG. 3. With all the disk contacts in vertical alignment, bridge conductor. 52 completes an electrical circuit through the code card that extends from contact 14 of FIG. 1 through contact 16 of FIGS. 1 and 2, interconnecting member 40a, contact 39a, interconnecting member 40b, contact 39b, interconnecting member 40c, contact 39c, interconnecting member 40d, bridge conductor 52, and back through conductive rod 15 of FIGS. 3 and 1. The completed circuit actuates load 17 as mentioned before.

Consider next the dialing step required for aligning the contacts 39a39c. In the example shown, the contacts are located with respect to the dial and the disk keyways to form the combination code 8-18-20. When the shaft is rotated counterclockwise more than one turn all of the disks contact the key projection 35 and therefore turn with the shaft. If rotation is stopped with the dial number 8 opposite the arrow 38, contact 39c will be adjacent the interconnecting member 40d. Clockwise rotation only to the number 18 will not move disk 32 but will move disk 31 so that contact 39b is aligned with contact 390. Then, rotation counterclockwise to the number 20 will not move disks 32 or 31 but will bring contact 39a into registration so that all the contacts 39a-39c are in vertical alignment as required for actuation.

From the foregoing, it can be appreciated that numerous combinations can be described in various cards by varying the locations of the disk contacts 39a-39c. Further, the number of disks can be increased by varying the size of the disk keyways.

In the absence of any provisions, unauthorized persons could possibly determine the code combination by inserting a rod through apertures 18' and then turning the dial until he felt the various successive disk contacts 39a-39c rub on the corresponding interconnecting members 40. To prevent this possibility, the disk 30 includes peripheral grooves 53 which each match a small stop 54 on interconnecting member 40a. If a rod is inserted into the aperture 48, the stop 54 engages one of the grooves 53 to prevent rotation of the disk 30 and the shaft 34. This does not interfere with legitimate operation of the device, because all shaft rotations are completed before insertion of the rod 15 into the card. If desired, each disk 30-32 and dial 33 may include peripheral grooves which match stops on interconnecting members 40a-40d. This will provide further assurance that unauthorized persons cannot determine the code combination.

Provision is also made for setting the combination by sound or by feel. Dial 33 includes small embossings between each of the numbers and three small embossings between numbers 19 and 20. A small clip 45 is located on the underside of lamination 29 which engages the embossing to make audible clicks. Thus, one can set the combination 8-18-20 as follows: (1) turn the dial counterclockwise until three rapid clicks together are heard twice and then turn through eight more clicks; (2) turn the dial clockwise through ten clicks (three rapid clicks count as one); and (3) turn the dial counterclockwise through two clicks. A similar procedure can be used by feeling, rather than hearing, the passage of the embossings.

It is to be understood that the foregoing is merely an illustrative embodiment. Various other embodiments and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Code card comparing apparatus comprising:

a plurality of stacked, axially arranged insulative disks forming part of a code card;

a discrete first conductor extending through each disk,

each first conductor being located at a common radial distance from the center of the disk;

means comprising a shaft extending axially through the disks for selectively rotating each disk, whereby the first conductors may be axially aligned by proper relative disk rotations;

a key projection on the shaft extending longitudinally along one side thereof;

the disks each having a different irregular central aperture, whereby each disk is rotated only upon contact with the key projection;

means for indicating the angular rotation of the shaft for aiding in selective alignment of the first conductors;

means for interconnecting the first conductors only when they are in substantial alignment;

said interconnecting means comprising second conductors each located between opposite disks, and means for transversely moving the second conductors comprising a third conductor adapted to be extended into the card;

and means comprising the interconnected first conductors for completing an electrical circuit through the code card and for actuating a load.

2. The code card apparatus of claim -1 wherein:

each second conductor is mounted on an insulative member which in turn is mounted on an insulative lamination and normally overlaps apertures in such lamiations;

and the third conductor is a rod adapted to protrude through successive lamination apertures, thereby to move transversely each insulative member and second conductor against the spring bias.

3. The code card apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:

a bridge conductor adapted for interconnecting aligned first conductors with the third conductor thereby to complete an electrical circuit through the code card;

the bridge conductor being adjacent upper first and second conductors;

the upper second conductor making contact with the upper first conductor and the bridge conductor when it is moved transversely by the third conductor;

a free end of the third conductor making contact with the bridge conductor after being extended through all of the lamination apertures.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein:

the rotating means comprises a shaft extending axially through the disks;

a key projection on the shaft extends longitudinally along one side thereof;

the disks each have a different irregular central aperture, whereby each disk is rotated only upon contact with the key projection;

and means for indicating the angular rotation of the shaft for aiding in selective alignment of the first conductors.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein:

each disk aperture is defined by a large radius portion having a longer radius than the radial length of the key projection, and a smaller radial portion having a shorter radius than the radial length of the key projection, whereby the key projection is capable of rotating the disk only upon contact with the smaller radial portion of the aperture;

the larger radial portion of one disk extending through approximately 35 0 degrees;

the larger radial portion of another disk extending through only approximately degrees;

and the larger radial portion of another disk extending through only approximately 10 degrees.

6. Code card comparing apparatus comprising:

a plurality of stacked, axially arranged insulative disks forming part of a code card;

a discrete first conductor extending through each disk, each first conductor being located at a common radial distance from the center of the disk;

means comprising a shaft extending axially through the disks for selectively rotating each disk, whereby the first conductors may be axially aligned by proper relative disk rotations;

a key projection of the shaft extending longitudinally along one side thereof;

each disk having an aperture defined by a large radius portion having a longer radius than the radial length of the key projection, and a smaller radial portion having a shorter radius than the radial length of the key projection, whereby the key projection is capable of rotating the disk only upon contact with the smaller radial portion of the aperture;

the larger radial portion of one disk extending through approximately 350 degrees;

the larger radial portion of another disk extending through only approximately 180 degrees;

and the larger radial portion of another disk extending through only approximately 10 degrees;

means for indicating the angular rotation of the shaft for aiding in selective alignment of the first conductors;

means for interconnecting the first conductors only When they are in substantial axial alignment;

and means comprising the interconnected first conductors for completing an electrical circuit through the code card and for actuating a load.

7. Code card comparing apparatus comprising:

a plurality of stacked, axially arranged insulative disks forming part of a code card;

a discrete first conductor extending through each disk, each first conductor being located at a common radial distance from the center of the disk;

means comprising a shaft extending axially through the disks for selectively rotating each disk, whereby the first conductors may be axially aligned by proper relative disk rotations;

a key projection on the shaft extending longitudinally along one side thereof;

the disks each having a different irregular central aperture, whereby each disk is rotated only upon contact with the key projection;

means for indicating the angular rotation of the shaft for aiding in selective alignment of the first conductors;

means comprising second conductors, each adapted to be moved transversely to contact adjacent pairs of first conductors, for interconnecting the first conductors only if they are in substantial axial alignment;

peripheral grooves on one of the disks;

a stop mounted on one of the second conductors which is adapted to engage one of the peripheral grooves when the second conductor is moved transversely, thereby prohibiting rotation of the shaft;

and means comprising the interconnected first conductors for completing an electrical circuit through the code card and for actuating a load.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,673,607 6/1928 Tulloch ZOO-45 BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner 25 F. E. BELL, Assistant Examiner 

